Annual homeless count wraps today

The 10th annual "point in time" count took place over the last ten days.

Serenity House executive director Kathy Wahto says expanding the count from a single day will especially help them count unaccompanied youth who may be homeless in the area.

Wahto says results of the count have helped change they way services are provided for the homeless in the area.

Clallam County contracts with Serenity House as the agency to tackle homelessness. It's part of a ten-year plan the county adopted in 2005 to end homelessness in the area.

Since 2006 the number of homeless counted in the annual census has dropped from 561 to 160 last year.
Wahto says the focus now is on permanent and stable housing for households that might be in a housing crisis.